Transition from school to work

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08/04/2016

The transition from school to work leaves some young people “overlooked and left behind”.

The majority of young people are significantly overlooked in their transition to work by the education system and the focus on apprenticeships is not suitable for everyone. These are the findings of the House of Lords Select Committee following its inquiry into social mobility which focused on how to ensure that all young people are offered a high quality career path after they leave school.

In its inquiry report, the committee makes 8 recommendations to the Government, which support the development of an improved system to help young people through the transition from education to work. These include:

The national curriculum stopping at the age of 14, rather than 16, with vocational routes introduced to young people earlier, and the ages of 14-19 being recognised as a single key transition stage

A new standard in independent careers advice and guidance, moving responsibility away from schools and colleges

For the government to act as a facilitator between colleges, schools, local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and employers in order to meet the needs of local labour markets

That a cabinet-level minister takes responsibility for the transition from school to work for young people.

Some young people aged 14-24 surveyed by the Committee replied that:

There were implied hierarchies between options at 16, with A Levels seen as the best and sixth form as the preferred location

Limited guidance about options was available, aside from A Levels and staying on at the same institution

Pressure was put on achieving grades with many respondents feeling that options were not available should grades not be achieved.

Chair of the Committee, Baroness Corston, said: “Recent governments have focused on higher education and apprenticeships as the way to help young people to be successful in later life. Both routes can work well – but it is absolutely not the case that they are suitable for everyone. To focus on university or apprenticeships, to the exclusion of other routes, is to the detriment of many talented and able young people”.